The 2026 Wilhelm Bender Dissertation Prize, worth 5,000 euros, is being awarded to our former doctoral candidate, Dr. Maike Melles, in recognition of her outstanding dissertation titled “Landscape as a Resource: Reinventing Heritage in the Spanish Dehesa” and her significant contribution to the humanities and social sciences.
The initiative for the prize originated with the chairman of the association “Friends and Supporters of Goethe University,” Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Bender. First awarded in 2019, the prize honors outstanding achievements by young scholars in the humanities and social sciences and has been sponsored annually by Professor Bender ever since.
In her dissertation, which is based on long-term ethnological field research and was written as part of the SFB 1070 “Resource Cultures” project at the Frobenius Institute, Dr. Melles describes the Spanish dehesa as a multifaceted concept that is interpreted and given meaning in various local, social, and historical contexts. She provides deep insights into agricultural practices, such as the breeding, rearing, fattening, slaughter, and processing of pigs for the production of the famous Iberico ham, thereby highlighting the significance of the (cultural) landscape and impressing with her scholarly excellence, analytical depth, and innovative perspectives. With great dedication and intellectual clarity, she has thus enriched research at our institute and at Goethe University in a special way.
The award will be presented during the Academic Ceremony of the Friends and Supporters of Goethe University on June 16, 2026, between 5:00 and 7:00 p.m. in the Foyer of the Presidency (Westend Campus).
We congratulate Dr. Melles on this special achievement and look forward to and wish her all the best for her future!
You can find the press release here. (in German only)
Photo: Marko Lipuš
